A GROUP of amputees are working against the clock to finish renovating a house in time for its owners to move in later this month.

Army veteran Lance Sergeant Michael Smith, his wife Lisa and their two-year-old daughter Maisie are hoping to get settled in their dream home in Camberley with the help of Sandhurst-based amputee charity Limbcare.

But with L/Sgt Smith due to leave active service shortly, the family will have to give up their army accommodation in less than a fortnight.

L/Sgt Smith, 42, lost his right leg above the knee in June 2009 following an accident sustained while riding a military bike through London during the Queen’s Trooping of the Colour ceremony a year earlier.

His wife explained how her husband was unconscious for four days before he underwent a year of intensive rehabilitation at the armed forces rehab centre at Headley Court.

“At first, it was devastating,” she said. “But the support we have received and the courage he showed was tremendous.

“There are people at Headley Court – men and women – whose injuries give you a whole new way of thinking about things.

“It gave us the hope that Michael could still lead a normal life.

A member of the Coldstream Guards, L/Sgt Smith served a seven-month stint in Iraq in 2005 and was due to see action in Afghanistan in 2008 before his injury put an end to his frontline career.

He took medical advice to have part of his leg amputated in 2009 following his accident and then a chance encounter at a shop put him in touch with Limbcare, whose founders – fellow amputees Ray Edwards MBE, Roy Wright and Barry Perrin – are now helping do up the house.

“It was very odd,” said Mrs Smith. “Roy just came up to him and said ‘Well, I haven’t seen a leg like that before’, revealing his prosthetic leg. They exchanged numbers and we’ve just gone from there.”

After his own life-changing operation in 1987 to remove both arms and legs, Mr Edwards has devoted himself to providing hope and support for people who have lost limbs, earning his MBE last year.

“I believe everyone deserves a good home,” he said. “To help Mike is a proud moment for us. It makes you realise that through adversity, human beings can do so much.

"We formed Limbcare in 2010 and it’s an honour – 25 years since my life changed – to come full circle and help others.”

Both Mr Edwards and Mr Wright, who lost a leg below the knee in 2009, praised the support they had received from local companies which have pledged everything from materials to machinery to get the job done, perhaps as much as £30,000 worth.

“People have even come in off the street to help by lifting things and making themselves useful,” said Mr Wright.

“It must be a slightly weird sight to see a bunch of amputees kitting out a house but we get lots of interest and, thankfully, a lot of support.”

For more information about Limbcare, visit www.limbcare.org . The charity also has a dedicated support number on 0800 052 1174.